392 Chapter 392: Before the next match (1/2)
Even though Feng Hai told me that, I remained worried about Anastasia. It was only natural – she was someone precious to me, even if we weren't in an outright romantic relationship. It was frustrating that I couldn't do anything to help, even though I wanted to. However, Feng Hai was correct. I wasn't some reckless shounen protagonist who ran off and tried to save everyone by myself. If Feng Hai said I could leave it to him, I was going to respect him and leave it to him.
If he really needed my help, he would ask me for it. At that time, I would gladly offer it. However, if Feng Hai and the Silver Wolves could resolve this problem on their own, then all the better. As much as I desired to be a hero or ally of justice like my dad, I wasn't that desperate to steal someone else's responsibilities.
\”You okay?\”
At Harrison's question, I snapped back to reality and nodded apologetically. That was right. I couldn't afford to be distracted – I had my own responsibilities, and my teammates were counting on me. My school was relying on me to perform.
\”What's the plan for today?\” I asked our team captain. He merely smiled.
\”You'll see.\”
\”Oh, come on!\” Pearl protested passionately. \”Why are you so secretive, even among your own team? It can't hurt to share what you have in mind.\”
\”That's because my strategies are entirely reactive and dependent on what the other party does.\” Harrison had a point. Most of the times he waited for the opposing team captain to select his or her representative before he picked one among us for the individual matches. If the other party waited for his choice, then he usually went with a safe order, which meant fielding either Craig or Lily or Sheila first, before looking to see who the opponent fielded.
Cody had also been selected for all the individual matches so far, usually going second or third, as an attempt to intimidate the other team into using up their own Assassin or risk getting an important member sniped. Since the danger went both ways, it was a wise idea to force the other team to field their Assassin first so that our own members wouldn't get sniped (or assassinated).
I say that, but I honestly doubted it made any difference. These wannabe Assassins were nothing compared to the real thing. Honestly, I had encountered and fought, and had even slain real, professional Assassins (though I doubted Selina was truly a professional, given her cavalier behavior and ridiculous carelessness). These students trying to play at being Assassins truly made me laugh. I understood that it was to make fun of the Assassin class in Battle Frenzy, but now it sort of stuck and I couldn't get rid of it in my story. I would have to deal with these fake wannabe Assassins who were a joke when compared to the real Assassins running around and actually killing people for their clients, the Dark Church.
\”The next school is…a little peculiar.\”
\”What do you mean?\” Impatient as ever, Craig lounged about and bluntly blurted out his question. Harrison merely smiled and waved a holographic screen into existence.
\”Our next opponent is from Anuaiz Academy, a school known for its…technomagic.\”
\”Technomagic?\” Theodore repeated incredulously. Our team members exchanged bewildered glances. It was clear that most of us had never heard of that term before. If I was to hazard a guess…
\”Um, combining technology with magic?\” I speculated. \”Using magic to manipulate and control machines and robots?\”
\”Bingo.\” Harrison actually looked impressed. \”That's right. I'm surprised that you've heard of it, Richard. It's a rarely mentioned field, and has only begun to catch academic attention very recently. A very young specialization of magic, comparatively.\”
\”I've never heard of it,\” Yue Chu admitted as he scratched his head.
\”Neither have I,\” Lily conceded, looking just as confused.
Harrison sighed wearily. \”Rather than explain, I think it's better if I just show you. Actually, that's why I brought this screen up in the first place.\” he then tapped his fingers against the hovering holographic screen and played a video.
To everyone's complete lack of surprise, it was a replay featuring our next opponents. It was a team match, for some reason, and despite their valiant efforts, they were down 0-3 by the first half, the opposing team taking them out almost completely in under five minutes.
\”Huh? They don't look so tough.\” Bu Fan was bewildered. \”Over half of their team got wiped out in five minutes. How did they make it to the last sixteen?\”
\”Just watch,\” Harrison told him. However, Theodore cut our captain off with a guffaw.
\”Exactly the same way we won our team match and got into the last sixteen. Don't tell me you've forgotten?\”
\”Ah…\” Bu Fan glanced at me, and then he understood. \”How could I have forgotten? Of course. Don't tell me that guy can also summon.\”
\”Well…sort of. Though it's a different kind of summoning. It's more of channeling. Look closely – especially at his Divine Device.\”
The guy at the back had finally finished casting his spell, channeling his mana into his Divine Device. At first glance, the device seemed weirdly shaped. Actually, it looked humanoid, but it was presently the size of a doll. A large mechanical doll made out of metal instead of plastic, admittedly, but otherwise it might as well be one of those puppets you usually saw in Japanese Bunraku theater plays.
And then it swelled up, expanding and transforming into a gigantic robot. The mage smirked as he took cover behind the gigantic robot. He wasn't the only one. The only other survivor of their team, a petite girl with long green hair had also activated her device and clad herself in mechanical armor. In fact, that was the only reason why she had survived while the rest of her teammates had failed. She was literally flying around the arena at incredible speeds while unleashing volleys of laser rounds at her opponents. Not only was she equipped with twin thruster engines that belched superheated plasma to grant her flight, she was also armed with a heavy beam rifle.
The other team was firing spells at her, but she effortlessly evaded all of them while laying down a suppressive screen of laser fire. However, with her teammate finally done with his spell, she no longer had to occupy their attention alone. The gigantic robot lumbered forward, a shimmering barrier settling over its enormous frame.
\”Why, you!\” one of the opponents growled. He raced forward and slashed with his axe, but it bounced off the shimmering barrier, causing him to stagger from Newton's third law. He ducked under the giant robot's retaliation, its heavy metallic arm swinging over the space where his head had been, and he withdrew quickly.
\”Max! Back!\” one of his teammates yelled. The guy with the axe obeyed, withdrawing to a safe distance while his four teammates turned to bombard the approaching robot with elemental spells. Yet the fireballs flickered harmlessly over its barrier, lightning splayed and spread inefficiently over the pinkish transparent screen, icicles shattered pathetically against the energy shields and earth spikes crumbled as they collided with its arcane defenses.
\”Damn it! What powerful defenses!\”
\”Leave that hunkering scrap of metal to me!\” Max hollered. He was casting an aggressive spell of his own right now, a whirlwind gathering into his axe as he spun it rapidly with both hands. The weapon was turning into a deadly blur right now and actually emanating strong gusts of wind that buffeted his own teammates.